With lockdown restrictions firmly in place for the foreseeable future, we're going to have to get creative and find new ways of staying curious, happy and sane this winter. Luckily, the team at the Traverse Theatre have an exciting programme happening over at their new online venue, Traverse 3. This permanent space will host a variety of stories that have been created or reimagined for a digital format, engaging people in virtual conversations and provocations even while we're apart.

The first work to usher us into the cold months is the UK premiere of The Journey (Tue 24--Sun 29 Nov), a live production and Traverse Theatre co-commission by theatre maker and illusionist Scott Silven. After completing two sold-out runs in New York City and headlining the likes of Melbourne International Arts Festival, Sydney Festival, Stanford Live and more, Silven and The Journey have finally returned home in time for the winter lockdown.

Each night, up to 30 guests will travel with Scott to his home in rural Scotland, which he'd recently returned to after his world tour of At The Illusionist's Table. Exploring notions of home, place and connection in a digital space, Scott leads audiences on an immersive journey of illusion and storytelling, which will be constructed and guided by the audience.

'I'm thrilled to be making my UK premiere of The Journey at The Traverse,' says Silven. 'After completing my latest world tour, I cannot imagine a better place for my homecoming show. The Journey is a love letter to Scotland and it feels serendipitous bringing it to a place that inspired me so much growing up.

This is a show about home, place, and the power of connection in these fragmented times. My creative team and I have crafted groundbreaking technology never seen before in the digital realm and woven it through the story and illusions to allow the audience to capture a moment in time where we can truly share in the impossible together. I'm hugely excited to invite UK audiences to take the first step on what will hopefully be an unforgettable adventure.'

As we look forward to life after the pandemic, what should the 'new-new normal' look like, especially in the arts industry? The Traverse have brought together some of the keenest minds and critics across the UK to answer this very question on The Traverse Podcast. Featuring conversations between the Traverse's Co-Artistic Director Designate Debbie Hannan and various cultural figureheads, these dialogues will explore the current state of theatre and the arts, and debate how the industry must progress along the lines of politics, internationalism, disability rights and more.

Available to listen on Spotify, Acast and Apple Podcasts, guests so far have featured the likes of playwright Matilda Ibini, playwright and director Abhishek Majumdar, director Leonie Rae Gasson and playwright Sarah Kosar. So if you're missing live theatre as much as we are, be sure to tune in and together we can imagine what the world might look like when those stage curtains rise once more.

For more information about what's going on at the Traverse, visit traverse.co.uk.